Global Golf Post, November 6, 2017

Busby Elliott Reign At Crane Cup PALM CITY FLORIDA In a two horse race matching talented Louisianians 33 year old Derek Busby pulled away from Patrick Christovich down the stretch to win the seventh annual Crane Cup on Sunday at the Floridian Yacht and Golf Club Busby this years Louisiana State Amateur winner opened the prestigious 54 hole event for mid amateurs with a blistering 9 under 62 and never trailed despite a spirited challenge from Christovich Entering the final round the pair found themselves separated by two strokes while miles ahead of the remaining field creating a de facto match play scenario After Christovich went 3 under in his first eight holes Sunday to tie Busby for the lead his momentum came to a screeching halt in what was a tournament defining end to the front nine Playing from the middle of the fairway on the difficult par 4 ninth Christovich pulled his approach left of the green and failed to get up and down making bogey Meanwhile Busby played a strong shot to the middle of the green and coasted home a delicate 15 footer to suddenly take a two stroke advantage I thought that if I could get to 12 under he would have to play a great round of golf to beat me Busby said I just hung in there and I think Patrick will tell you that No 9 was really the turning point He short sided himself and he knew he couldnt do that The story of the back nine was Busbys refusal to make bogey and Christovichs string of agonizing birdie misses Another key exchange occurred on No 14 as Busby deftly caressed a lengthy par putt into the hole while a bunkered tee ball by Christovich led to a bogey pushing the margin to three strokes Busby put it in cruise control from that point comfortably winning by five strokes with an 11 under 202 total In the senior division Gene Elliott shot 11 under 205 to outpace runner up Steve Hudson by 14 strokes It was kind of weird starting out today because I had a seven shot lead and Im not sure how to play with a seven shot lead Elliott joked At the turn I knew I had a big lead and just didnt want to do anything super stupid Elliott turned 55 in February and has enjoyed a superb run in senior golf this year He won the Canadian Senior Amateur Trans Mississippi Senior Amateur and finished runner up in the British Seniors Amateur I guess 55 is the new 25 he said RESULTS Sean Fairholm Derek Busby AMATEUR

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